Close Encounters (Open)

Zenro looked over at the female as she stepped out of the car and then looked over at the aliens as she went to most likely help them out. His ears flicked around as he picked up what she was saying. Moving towards the men, he knelt down and retrieved his dagger, putting it away in a sheathe at his side. After doing so, he brought his hands down to one of the man's arms and started to tear the arm of the suit after fiddling around with it. He took the long strip of cloth that he tore from one of the man's suit and began to wrap it around one the wound on his leg, the black liquid flowing down his leg.

After he finished attending his leg wound he brought his hands back against the wound in his side and pressed them against it as he moved away from the men a bit and sat down, his arms shaking as he did so. He looked over in the direction of the aliens and the female, hearing this conversation. There wasn't much he got out of it, he quiet honestly stopped trying to understand what they said after the female's first two sentences. As he tuned their voices out, he thought about if it would be best to go elsewhere to recover since it was rather likely of more people would be on their way after the commotion in this area. He could certainly hide somewhere up in the trees since there were certainly enough to provide a fair amount of spaces that would suffice for hiding and resting.

Once she was finished patching them up, Marleigh stood up to look for the other helper on the scene. She could not have taken the men down alone. In her book, she owed him a great deal. She spotted him sitting a little ways off from everyone else. She walked over to show her gratitude for his help.

"I have not thanked you yet for your assistance tonight. It was very gallant of you, standing up to those people for strangers you had nothing to do with."

"And I would like to apologize as well. Because of my lack of ability and hesitation to take action, you and a few others suffered injuries. If there is anything at all I can do for you, please let me know."

She wanted to offer to treat his wounds as well but she noticed that he had already done something about them himself. It seemed rude to suggest she could do a better job. People who fixed themselves up tended to be the type to have a certain amount of pride when it came to doing things on their own. She wished to respect that.

A thought then occurred to her. From her satchel, she took out one of the scarves she had knitted earlier. Holding it with both of her hands, she offered it to the wolfman.

"It is a little chilly tonight. I know it's not much but please do accept it as a token of thanks."

"I'm Marleigh, Marleigh Garrett. It is a pleasure to meet and have worked with you."

Zenro watched as the female approached him and then proceeded to saw a fair amount of things to him. As he looked up at her and listened, his wolf ears twitched as his eyes seemed to shift their focus back and forth quickly for a moment. One of his eyes twitched a little as he worked to process everything she had said, only to have more be said to him, making it rather difficult to try and keep track of everything and attempt to remember what it all meant.

"Not.. good.. with this tongue." Zenro stated after a bit of a pause as he stood up slowly, the chains rattling between his shackles as he did so. One of his hands remained on the untreated wound from the battle as he looked down at the scarf that she was presenting him now as a gift. It seemed to be something meant for the cold weather, but with his current attire, he was quite fine in those terms. Also, the shackles would have made it rather awkward the reach for it, requiring him to remove his hand from the wound.

"Am fine, appreciated." He replied to her offering of the scarf, a hesitant tone in his voice as he declined her offer. As she stated her name he simply nodded at her, looking at her as if he was deciding on something.

"Called Wulf." Zenro replied after a pause taken to consider something. His gaze shifted a little as he looked to be focusing on something. "Know.. safe area Roh'S-" He began in a questioning tone, "sleep?"

It was not difficult for Marleigh to pick up that he was putting great effort in trying to make out what she was saying. The thought was confirmed when he spoke and the sentences did not come out complete, also stating outright that he was not good with English. She did not take offense when he declined the gift. By now she was sure that it was probably not a good idea to assume his kind had similar customs to what she was used to.

He identified himself as Wulf. It was a strangely fitting name and rather deliberate for a real name. Her guess was that it was most likely his hero name. It looked like there was something on his mind and he was struggling to find the right words. The result was a slight slip of tongue that he quickly corrected, though it was still just a fragment of a sentence all in all.

A safe place to sleep? Well, it was true that thanks to the commotion earlier, the park was hardly safe anymore. If they were unlucky, comrades of the men they had subdued would arrive and make the situation even more difficult. Still, it was not really a difficult question. If it was a place for people with superhuman abilities, Jump had grown accustomed to them and so there were many possibilities. The problem was there was a good chance he would get overwhelmed by the talking in those places. She decided to get his opinion first.

"In the city, Jump hospital has a special ward for metahumans. They do not ask much other than for you not to cause any trouble. They will help treat your wounds too if you do not mind."

"If you really just want a place to sleep, I also know a few hostels. I can help arrange a private room. It is the least I can do as thanks for tonight."

She tried to use gestures to help him understand better what she was saying.

Zenro was certainly relieved that his knowledge of this tongue Marleigh and the men spoke was somewhat clear enough to get his points across. It certainly didn't please him that the need for this tongue was warranted, there was a reason his ability with it was so limited. From what Marleigh was suggesting, it sounded like there was some place where they would treat his wounds if he wanted, but it sounded like a place with more people. Places with less people were certainly preferred, less interference, less problems. The second option that was brought up sounded like the better solution.

"Tehf Roh-," Zenro started, letting out a sigh before he continued, "only sleep."

He wasn't sure how far this place that Marleigh was talking about, but he wasn't bleeding too much so he assumed that they would be able to get there before he fell unconscious. Marleigh had trustworth aspects it seemed, she was not required to help but had, but he would certainly rather not fall unconscious before they got to their destination.

"Vis far?" He asked before his eyes twitched and his head jerked to the side a little. "How far?" He asked again, this time in the correct tongue for the whole two words. The sound of the chains between his shackles rattling could easily be heard as his arms shook as he awaited the answer, being quite ready to be on his way.

Marleigh had a feeling he would prefer the latter. The place she had in mind was downtown. If they avoided the nightclub and bar districts, they should be able to navigate fairly empty streets away from prying eyes. They were somewhere in the middle of the large park though and Wulf was not in the best shape. She figured she ought to give it to him straight.

"It would likely be an hour's walk and possibly a little more. It would be convenient to use one of the cars here, but I would rather not give these men or their allies further reason to come after us."

She was interrupted by the approach of one of the aliens. It was the uninjured one.

"We have finished our preparations and are ready to depart."

The alien made eye contact with Wulf and bowed his head humbly.

"Thank you again for your assistance tonight."

The tall cloaked figure walked back towards the ship where his comrades were waiting. Marleigh watched as the ship took off, becoming invisible like it did earlier before rising and disappearing completely into the night sky. It was around this time that she remembered that she never got to give them the scarves she knitted. She sighed. There would always be a next time. Maybe then they would meet in more pleasant circumstances.

She turned her attention back to Wulf.

"Can you walk? We should leave here too lest we run into more of those unpleasant characters."

Zenro's right eye kept blinking as he listened to what Marleigh said. She said something about an 'hour', it was assumed that was some unit of time, but none that he was used to. Then again, for the most part he was accustomed to much simpler methods of measuring time based off day and night cycles or positions of the moons.

He was going to say something in response to Marleigh's comment, but the uninjured alien approached them and thanked them. He gave the alien a small nod of his head in acknowledgement. It was rather interesting since there weren't many things he had run into that met or exceeded his height. He watched the ship take off and then disappear from sight and then head off.

"Can for while." He replied as he looked around a bit, his ears twitching as he worked to listen around them, ensuring that others weren't coming or if they were, that he could pick up on their approach. "'Hour' long?" He asked after he looked back at her, the way he said 'hour' making it seem that he was certainly not familiar with the word.

He was quite ready to be moving as he shifted around a little, testing out how his injured leg was going to act. It seemed it would slow him down a little and be a nuisance, but nothing too debilitating. His right hand was still pressed up against the wound on his side as he looked down at it, it wasn't bleeding too bad, but it was certainly going to pose a problem if this took too long. "Lead way." He urged her on, his tone having a slight tone of urgency mixed with more impatience.

Did he know where they were to go, he would have certainly already started off in the direction, but as of right now he certainly had no idea where he was, only Marleigh did. It was not a situation he was very fond of, but Marleigh seemed like some trust could be vested in her.

As they got ready to go as well, Marleigh pondered for a bit how she was going describe an hour to someone who did not know what it was. He must really be not from around here. Did he perhaps tell time from the position of the moon or sun in the sky? It was quite  interesting that someone who found basic things so foreign took the opportunity to help out earlier. In any case, she found her reply as they started walking.

"At this speed, an hour would be around 7000 paces. We just need to get back to the main path that goes through the park and then follow it out. It should be this way."

The estimate was fairly accurate. They were not walking very fast and the place she had in mind was around two miles away. As they moved, she could tell Wulf was on alert, mostly because she was too. It would be nice if there walk went smoothly but this was Jump. Trouble was everywhere even if you try hard to avoid it. For now, it was least quiet.

Zenro closed his eyes for a moment as he continued to proceed forward along with Marleigh at the pace that they had started. He was trying to remember something in regards to what she had just said. '7000', there had been something he heard once from some new tongues, 'thousand' had been something rather large. It was nothing exact, but it was enough to get a grasp of how long this would take. It sounded like this was going to be a notable distance. Nothing in the realm of a moon cycle, but enough to notice the difference in position of the moon.

A simply nod was given in response to Marleigh's comment about the distance it would be to their destination. It wasn't going to be the most pleasant of travels, but it wouldn't take too long. There had certainly been a fair amount of those men that had made their way to the park during that whole ordeal, it was rather likely such an encounter would draw more attention. Whilst one of his legs was injured, he could certainly quicken his pace as to reach their destination in a more swift manner. Were he more familiar with this area, he would have certainly already been going at a hastened pace.

"Can hasten." Zenro stated as he looked over at Marleigh. He continued to move as he watched her, looking for her confirmation that she could as well. Being able to increase his pace wouldn't do much good unless she did the same. Any damage to his leg from a quicker pace would be rather annoying as they continued, but it would be able to be healed up once he rested.

Marleigh was a little concerned about Wulf's condition. Superhuman or not, moving around while injured was not the best of ideas. It was times like this that she wished she had a mode of transport packed in her satchel. That was not a bad idea. She kept the thought at the back of her mind. There should be something she could work with when she returned home later. For now, she had to keep an eye on her companion to ensure he did not collapse on her.

Wulf then suggested that they quicken their pace. That did not really fit in with her idea of trying not to draw attention to themselves. If he was willing to go that far, they may as well get a cab. It would be faster and he would not have to strain himself moving.

"I thought we could spend the time leisurely walking but if you are really in a hurry, I can call a taxi once we reach the edge of the park." She spoke while gesturing something about transportation.

"Drivers who worked at this shift are usually the type to be more tolerant of unusual circumstances. I am sure he would not ask too many questions. The trip would be fairly short by car anyway."

So Marleigh's plan was to walk away from this area; that did not seem like the best idea. Perhaps customs were different here, but two people walking around an area where there had been a rather loud and interesting encounter would certainly draw attention in Zenro's mind. He was much more keen to being out of the area quicker, lingering around such a scene just didn't seem to be the greatest of ideas. Getting this taxi would involve another person and he certainly felt that, right now at least, he needed to certainly minimize contact with people; at least until he could better defend himself.

A dearth of questions would certainly be good, as would a quicker trip. Zenro gave her a nod in agreement to the idea. He was not sure of everything that the calling of a taxi would entail, but it certainly sounded like it would be quicker than going to their destination on foot. If Marleigh suggested the idea, it wouldn't be likely that it would endanger them considering they had both been on the same side during their encounter.

Zenro continued with their same pace, his gaze shifting around the area as his ears twitched as he worked to pick up all the sounds around them. Hopefully there weren't many more nights like this, he was certainly eager for when he was able to use his powers again. As he stood now, it was much certainly an annoying state to be in.

Marleigh was really not the most talented person when it came to reassuring people. As they walked, Wulf seemed to be on his toes the entire time. Well, there was little chance he would see anyone go that way. The maid had deliberately chosen to take a less traveled path in the park that was almost always empty during the day. She figured that it made sense that it was empty at night as well. She still proceeded with caution though. As they neared the main road, she took out her phone to make a quick call to the cab company. The car would meet them at the south entrance to the park in less than five minutes.

They reached the road without encountering further complications. It was empty for the most part. The only signs of life were a flickering lamp post and a pair of late night joggers some distance ahead, though they were moving away from where Marleigh and Wulf stood. All that was left was to wait for the taxi to come by which should be in just a few minutes.

Zenro continued to keep the same pace with Marleigh, his head turning the other direction nearly every step he took. His eyes scanned the area around them, keeping a sharp eye out for anyone around them. The way in which he went about constantly keeping tabs on their surroundings was more a matter of habit than paranoia. This second nature of scanning the surroundings was disrupted for a moment when Marleigh took something and appeared to be talking with someone.

"Know? Trust?" He questioned as he pointed at her phone, gesturing as to ensure the hand on his wound would stay there. The second question as added right as he recalled the specific word he had been searching for. Trust was rather important in situations. Even without being able to interpret everything Marleigh had said to whoever she was talking to, it did not seem like there was too much information given. Such social correspondence would be seen as a close relationship, but it was unclear yet if that same thought was well received amongst New Tongues.

As the pair of late night joggers ran off in the distance, Zenro's eyes watched their movements carefully. Once they disappeared, his focus shifted back to the area around them, his eyes moving over the new environment that the south entrance of the park offered. It was certainly more open, something that he was not too keen about. Were they to wait for someone, it would no doubt be better to wait in the cover that the park offered until whoever or whatever they were waiting on to arrive.

"Wait here?" He inquired as he cast his gaze back to the park for a moment as to propose the alternative. His gaze immediately returned to its post in surveying the area, not really looking back at Marleigh to await her response. As he stood at there at the entrance, his free hand was extended away from his body enough to make the chains taut. His hand against his wound trembled notably along with his entire right arm as his head jerked to the side a few times, disrupting his scan across the area when it happened.

"Yes, there is nothing to worry about. It was just a call to the cab company. They should be here soon."

Marleigh had come here tonight hoping to catch a glimpse of aliens. And she did in fact see them, though the circumstances could have been much more pleasant. But as she spent more time with Wulf, she could not help but feel that in a way, it was another "alien" encounter. He was not from around here and his communication skills left much to be desired. Talking was not easy but she could at least get the thought across. The problem however was getting the feelings across. She could tell Wulf was still feeling uneasy.

"Yes, the cab should be here in just a short while."

True enough, no more than ten minutes passed before the headlights of the taxi were visible from the corner as it turned. It stopped just in front of them and Marleigh opened door. The driver was a somewhat old man probably in his late 50's.

"Good evening miss. Nice night for a walk in the park? You're out late though."

Marleigh smiled. "Time flies when you are with good company. My friend here hurt himself in the woods though and so I would appreciate it if we did not drive too fast."

"Sure thing"

The maid gestured to Wulf to enter the car first. "It's safe. I promise."

For that short while, Zenro still spent the time looking around the area, keeping up a constant vigil. If the situation different, perhaps there might have been conversation from his side, but as it was with what had happened before and the usage of a somewhat unfamiliar tongue left him more keen to being cautious rather than work up more of a conversation.

Before the headlights of the taxi were visible from the corner, Zenro's ears had being paying attention to that direction and he was staring off in that direction. As the taxi pulled up beside them, he observed it for a quick moment before diverting his gaze towards the driver. He did not pay much attention to what was being said, leaving him without knowing what they were talking about as he studied the man as he conversed with Marleigh.

His attention snapped back to his surroundings as he took notice of Marleigh's gesture. Promise, there was a word that he was not too fond of. As Marleigh said that word, it seemed to strike a nerve in Zenro as his facial expression grew angered for a second before he closed his eyes for a moment and calmed down.

When Zenro opened his eyes he looked at the taxi, taking notice of the space between the ground and the inside of the taxi, it seemed like it was going to be a little awkward with his restraints. Then there was also the matter of the height of the taxi, it certainly wasn't going to be a comfortable ride. Zenro sat on the edge of the seat, hunched over, with his right hand still placed against his wound, and then proceeded to bring both of his legs in. The chains on his restraints could easily be heard as he moved about. He proceeded to move behind the seat of the driver, to allow Marleigh to enter the car from the same side and something about the chains on his restraints and the driver being in front of him offered a sense of security in case things weren't exactly safe as Marleigh had stated, promised more so.

Zenro sat in silence, hunched over a fair deal, most of him remaining still as he waited. His right arm shook, the rattle of the chains being heard for a moment before he moved his left arm enough to make the chain taut again. He glanced over at Marleigh for a second before looking back towards the driver from behind him with a serious gaze. From a glance at the rear-view mirror or direction at Zenro from the driver, Zenro might have not seemed like what many would call good company.